Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Anthony M. M. Bonacolta, Bradley A. A. Weiler, Teresa Porta-Fito, Michael Sweet, Patrick Keeling, Javier del Campo
Summary: Many corals have a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates, but the role of microeukaryotes like protists and fungi in the coral holobiont and reef ecosystems is not well understood. Recent advances in metabarcoding have highlighted the importance of microeukaryotes in corals, and it is necessary to present the current knowledge before further studies are conducted.
Article
Biology
Hannah G. G. Reich, Emma F. F. Camp, Liza M. M. Roger, Hollie M. M. Putnam
Summary: This review explores the role of trace metals in the physiological performance and functional ecology of coral holobiont in oligotrophic environments. It emphasizes the importance of metal exchanges among holobiont partners and their contribution to partner compatibility, stress coping ability, and overall organismal fitness and distribution. The review also highlights the influence of abiotic factors and climate change on trace metal availability and the potential consequences for coral survival. Future research directions are suggested to further understand the impacts of trace metals on coral holobiont symbioses and nutrient cycling in coral ecosystems.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carsten G. B. Grupstra, Lauren I. Howe-Kerr, Jesse A. van der Meulen, Alex J. Veglia, Samantha R. Coy, Adrienne M. S. Correa
Summary: Animal waste is an important part of nutrient cycles and can transmit diverse microorganisms through trophic interactions. The feces of grazers/detritivores were found to cause more frequent and larger lesions on corals compared to the feces of corallivores, indicating the harmful microbial activity in grazer/detritivore feces. Analysis of bacterial diversity in feces from different fish species revealed potential differences in coral-associated bacteria and coral pathogens, suggesting the role of consumers in coral symbiont dispersal. These findings have significant implications for environmental management.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joseph W. P. Nakoa, John H. R. Burns, Kanoelani Steward, Lauren M. Kapono, Clifford A. Kapono
Summary: Coral reefs are declining due to various factors, and diseases affecting corals have increased in recent decades. However, the etiology of most diseases is still poorly understood. In this study, a 3D molecular cartographic platform was used to investigate the molecular characteristics of healthy and diseased coral tissues. The results showed differences in microbial diversity and molecular composition between healthy and diseased tissues, providing new insights into how diseases affect the molecular landscape of corals.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nizam Ashraf, Abdulaziz Anas, Vrinda Sukumaran, Girish Gopinath, K. K. Idrees Babu, P. K. Dinesh Kumar
Summary: Corals are highly vulnerable ecosystems on the verge of extinction due to global climate change and human activities. Multiple stressors can individually or synergistically result in tissue degradation, reduced coral covers, and vulnerability to diseases.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Baruch Rinkevich
Summary: The need to enhance the adaptive potential of corals in the face of unceasing climate change and anthropogenic impacts has led to the successful approach of 'coral gardening' for restoring degraded reefs. This method is structured within a hierarchical list of five encircling tiers, focusing on the nursery phase and including activities such as coral mariculture and ecological engineering. The key importance of adaptation-based reef restoration (ABRR), which includes phenotypic plasticity and assisted migration among other classes, is emphasized for enhancing coral adaptation to climate change.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Chenying Wang, Xinqing Zheng, Hagit Kvitt, Huaxia Sheng, Danye Sun, Gaofeng Niu, Dan Tchernov, Tuo Shi
Summary: This study found that corals with specific symbiont lineages show distinct responses to thermal stress, with those dominated by Durusdinium being more resilient. However, Cladocopium symbionts exhibited better photosynthetic efficiency and carbon translocation in ambient temperatures, leading to faster growth and calcification. Symbiont shuffling under stress-induced changes may impact coral resilience, but the rapid environmental changes could outpace their evolutionary adaptation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Rob R. Ruzicka
Summary: SCTLD has had an unprecedented impact on the western Atlantic coral-reef ecosystems, causing a decline in reef-accretion potential and altering the composition of coral assemblages. The loss of reef-building corals has significantly decreased carbonate production, leading to a decline in their capacity for growth.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
Zhang Xiaoli, Wang Lei, Peng Saijun, Wuzhong Qiyue, Zhang Lei, Dong Zhijun, Sun Tingting, Liu Ping, Zhang Qianqian, Zhao Jiamnin
Summary: This study investigated the diversity, composition, and distribution of seawater bacteria and microeukaryotes in the pristine coral-reef system of Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. The study found that the bacterial communities had lower diversity in the bottom waters compared to the surface and middle waters, and were dominated by SAR11, Flavobacteriales, and Synechococcus. Microeukaryotic communities were predominantly composed of Dinophyceae and Syndiniales.
JOURNAL OF OCEAN UNIVERSITY OF CHINA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sammy Wambua, Hadrien Gourle, Etienne P. de Villiers, Oskar Karlsson-Lindsjo, Nina Wambiji, Angus Macdonald, Erik Bongcam-Rudloff, Santie de Villiers
Summary: This study is the first metagenomic assessment of Western Indian Ocean coral reef microbial diversity, providing a much-needed baseline for the region. The research found variations in taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial communities inhabiting coral reefs exposed to varying impacts of human activities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Keke Cheng, Mengmeng Tong, Zhonghua Cai, Mui Choo Jong, Jin Zhou, Baohua Xiao
Summary: Coral-associated microbiomes exhibit host-specificity, with opportunistic microbes colonizing bleached corals, leading to an increase in alpha-diversity of microbial communities. The physiological status of corals influences the composition of their associated microbial communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Angela Randazzo-Eisemann, Joaquin Rodrigo Garza-Perez, Baruch Figueroa-Zavala
Summary: The study found that coral diseases outbreaks, along with the effects of coastal development and thermal stressors, have significantly decreased the coverage and abundance of major reef-building corals in the Akumal reef over the past two decades, shifting the dominant species to non-framework weedy life history strategies.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Haoya Tong, Fang Zhang, Jin Sun, Shelby E. McIlroy, Weipeng Zhang, Yan Wang, Hui Huang, Guowei Zhou, Pei-Yuan Qian
Summary: This study investigated the physiological and transcriptomic responses of Pocillopora damicornis larvae to elevated nitrate levels. The results showed significant transcriptomic differences related to development, stress response, and transport. Higher levels of nitrate inhibited the development of Symbiodiniaceae but promoted the development of prokaryotic microbes. Additionally, most prokaryotic transcripts were negatively correlated with the physiological functions of Symbiodiniaceae.
Article
Geology
Tara R. Clark, George Roff, Tess Chapman, Hannah Markham-Summers, Nicholas M. Hammerman, Faye Liu, Yuexing Feng, John M. Pandolfi, Jian-xin Zhao
Summary: The overall status of many reefs in the Great Barrier Reef is uncertain due to the lack of detailed broad-scale studies. The relative role of various threats in impacting individual reefs is generally unclear. A novel approach using uranium-thorium dating of dead corals was adopted to reconstruct historical disturbance events at Rib and Davies Reefs, providing a reliable benchmark to assess recovery and monitor coral communities effectively.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Graham Kolodziej, Michael S. Studivan, Arthur C. R. Gleason, Chris Langdon, Ian C. Enochs, Derek P. Manzello
Summary: Since 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease has spread throughout Florida's coral reef tract and the Caribbean, reaching the upper Florida Keys by 2016. Despite the presence of the disease at Cheeca Rocks, the impact on coral cover and community structure has been relatively low compared to other sites on Florida's coral reef tract, highlighting the potential role of this site in coral resilience.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Trent D. Haydon, David J. Suggett, Nachshon Siboni, Tim Kahlke, Emma F. Camp, Justin R. Seymour
Summary: The diversity and structure of bacterial components in octocoral microbiomes vary seasonally and among different species, with the genus Endozoicomonas being a key conserved feature in the core microbiomes of some octocorals.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Paige Strudwick, Justin Seymour, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Trent Haydon, Lorna Howlett, Nine Le Reun, Nahcshon Siboni, David J. Suggett
Summary: The study found that different coral species exhibit distinct microbial responses during coral propagation and out-planting. Specifically, the bacterial community of A. millepora significantly changed within the nursery environment but returned to a similar composition as the source colonies after one month of out-planting. In contrast, the bacterial community of P. verrucosa remained stable throughout the experiment. These findings suggest that coral species have different microbial dynamics during propagation and out-planting.
Correction
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Paige Strudwick, Justin Seymour, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Trent Haydon, Lorna Howlett, Nine Le Reun, Nahcshon Siboni, David J. Suggett
Article
Limnology
David J. Suggett, Matthew R. Nitschke, David J. Hughes, Natasha Bartels, Emma F. Camp, Nicole Dilernia, John Edmondson, Sage Fitzgerald, Amanda Grima, Ayla Sage, Mark E. Warner
Summary: Active chlorophyll a fluorometry, a tool for diagnosing coral functional state, has not been developed as a rapid phenotyping platform. This study used Light-Induced Fluorescence Transient-Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry to identify coral phenotypes, and found variations in light niche plasticity among different coral taxa, which can inform stock selection for different light environments.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY-METHODS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emma F. Camp, Matthew R. Nitschke, David Clases, Raquel Gonzalez de Vega, Hannah G. Reich, Samantha Goyen, David J. Suggett
Summary: This study investigates the elementomes of diverse dinoflagellates within the Symbiodiniaceae family and explores how they are influenced by nutrient availability and elevated temperature. The results reveal unique elementomes among Symbiodiniaceae isolates, driven by differential micronutrients content, and a more homogenised elementome under elevated temperature conditions. The findings suggest that Symbiodiniaceae possess evolutionary conserved preferential elemental acquisition and may have a common elemental signature to warming.
Article
Oceanography
Lorna Howlett, Emma F. Camp, John Edmondson, Jenny Edmondson, Taryn Agius, Russell Hosp, Philip Coulthard, Steve Edmondson, David J. Suggett
Summary: Coral propagation through nurseries and out-planting practices has increased globally to improve stakeholder-led stewardship for local reef site health. The tourism industry in the Great Barrier Reef implemented coral propagation after back-to-back bleaching events, overcoming cost-efficiency limitations through the Coral Nurture Program (CNP) partnership model. Success of CNP relies on collaboration between researchers and operators, utilizing complementary expertise and resources for continual improvement. This study examines the CNP activity to evaluate how collective propagation by tourism operators and research validation can enhance site stewardship on the Great Barrier Reef.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emma F. Camp, Tim Kahlke, Brandon Signal, Clinton A. Oakley, Adrian Lutz, Simon K. Davy, David J. Suggett, William P. Leggat
Summary: The Symbiodiniaceae are a diverse family of marine dinoflagellates that have a symbiotic relationship with invertebrates. They are sensitive to thermal stress, and research shows that this sensitivity is influenced by both phylogenetic dependent and independent traits. To understand the drivers of Symbiodiniaceae heat stress tolerance, researchers have provided a dataset that includes transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome data.
Article
Biology
Hannah G. G. Reich, Emma F. F. Camp, Liza M. M. Roger, Hollie M. M. Putnam
Summary: This review explores the role of trace metals in the physiological performance and functional ecology of coral holobiont in oligotrophic environments. It emphasizes the importance of metal exchanges among holobiont partners and their contribution to partner compatibility, stress coping ability, and overall organismal fitness and distribution. The review also highlights the influence of abiotic factors and climate change on trace metal availability and the potential consequences for coral survival. Future research directions are suggested to further understand the impacts of trace metals on coral holobiont symbioses and nutrient cycling in coral ecosystems.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Paige Strudwick, Justin Seymour, Emma F. Camp, Christine Roper, John Edmondson, Lorna Howlett, David J. Suggett
Summary: Coral propagation and out-planting play a vital role in reef stewardship, but their impact on the coral microbiome and long-term survival is still unclear. A study in three reef sites found significant changes in bacterial communities of transplanted corals within 7 days to 1.5 months. However, after 1.5 months, bacterial communities became similar across sites, suggesting the influence of other factors on long-term survival.
Article
Biology
Trent D. D. Haydon, Jennifer L. L. Matthews, Justin R. R. Seymour, Jean-Baptiste Raina, Jamie E. E. Seymour, Kathryn Chartrand, Emma F. F. Camp, David J. J. Suggett
Summary: Anthropogenic stressors lead to declines in reef conditions and coral health. Studying coral populations in extreme habitats can provide insights into their future functionality. By comparing the metabolite profiles of Pocillopora acuta colonies in mangrove and adjacent reef environments, we found that mangrove populations exhibit metabolic plasticity to resist high-temperature exposure. Specific metabolites may serve as biomarkers of heat tolerance, providing novel insight into adaptive coral resilience to elevated temperatures.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Federica Scucchia, Paul Zaslansky, Chloe Boote, Annabelle Doheny, Tali Mass, Emma F. Camp
Summary: The rapid rate of climate change necessitates new management strategies to protect coral reefs. This study investigates stress-tolerant corals in mangrove lagoons and shows that while they are able to survive in extreme conditions, there are genetic and energetic compromises that may reduce their competitive fitness in future harsher environments. The coral skeletons from mangroves have lower density, thickness, and higher porosity, indicating redirection of metabolic energy towards stress response functions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Natasha Bartels, Nicole J. Dilernia, Lorna Howlett, Emma F. Camp
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Jane Lubchenco, Emma F. Camp, Cristian A. Vargas, Dyhia Belhabib, Zuzy Anna, Diva J. Amon, Anna Metaxas, Harriet Harden-Davies
Summary: This article introduces the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reflects on priorities for action on ocean health and biodiversity over the next seven years.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Christopher R. J. Kavazos, Francesco Ricci, William Leggat, Jordan M. Casey, J. Howard Choat, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: The study investigates the intestinal microbiome of planktivorous and algae-farming damselfish species using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results show that the richness of the intestinal bacterial communities of damselfish reflects the host species' diet and trophic guilds. Algae-farming damselfish have a more diverse core microbiome and are enriched in Actinobacillus and Pasteurellaceae, while planktivorous damselfish are enriched in Vibrionaceae.
INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Coulson A. Lantz, William Leggat, Jessica L. Bergman, Alexander Fordyce, Charlotte Page, Thomas Mesaglio, Tracy D. Ainsworth
Summary: Coral bleaching events continue to degrade coral reefs worldwide, causing a shift in the ecosystem from coral to algae dominance. This study found that during a bleaching event, a degraded coral reef community was still able to maintain positive net ecosystem calcification and production, despite declining coral health. Elevated temperatures may have enhanced calcification in non-hermatypic calcifiers. However, the study highlights that positive net ecosystem calcification on degraded reefs may not equate to net positive accretion of a complex reef structure in the future.
